Fate's Crystal Majesty
by Fatal Crest
Summary: The updated version of Amethyst of Fate. XD I OWN THIS. You don't have to have read the original version, this is a revised version of it.
1. Prologue

Prologue: The Wolf and the Girl… Not to mention the Ogre.

The dark forest of the forgotten lands lay mostly undisturbed for the night, save a hasty prince and his troublesome Ogrian prey. Bushes rustled violently as the ten foot tall, seven foot wide Ogre broke into the meadow before the mouth of the Cave of Gates, the cave that led from the Forgotten lands to the outside.

It seemed that the monster was more than willing to run to the world of humans, mouth watering as he crushed the delicate flora beneath his feet. The Prince, in hot pursuit, growled scornfully at the large beast. "The Ogrians once thought it dishonorable to resist arrest!" He snarled, taking a mighty leap and using his demonic claws to slice at the Ogre.

The beast roared, swatting at the smaller creature, grabbing the Prince in midair and smashing him into the rocky wall next to the cave's entrance. "And the wolves were once less irritating!" He said, leaving the prince in his own impression in the Granite.

"Milord!" said another Wolf Demon, hesitating before the Cave entrance.

"Go! Get after him!" said the one of higher rank, then the young Wolf Prince leaped, knocking boulders of the Granite wall out of place and charging down the tunnel, rushing once again into the hunt after the other.

With a sigh of contempt and relief a young girl pressed the Print button on her laptop. Out of what seemed to be nothing but spite, Her Ninth grade Language Arts teacher had given her the assignment to write him a letter stating how much of a failure she would come to be if she would not listen to his horrifying advice and startling remarks on how she should and should not write the book that she had been working on since midway through Sixth grade. She finished the five page letter quickly enough, but it took another seven or so hours extra to remove all traces of sarcasm and loathing from her words.

With exhaustion looming around her head like a thick fog, she looked to her clock and somehow deciphered the numbers to where they read Five A.m.

Thank the gods for Saturdays.

Stumbling to her dresser she pulled out pajamas before flopping onto her bed, which only made her head hurt worse. After another five minutes of confusedly slipping on and off her clothing, (In that order at some points) she crawled under her blanket and clapped her hands until the lights finally went off, silently happy that the Dorms were fairly updated in technology. The printer finished humming and spitting out paper long after she slipped into unconsciousness.

"My Lord…"

"Yes, I know." The Wolf Prince murmured, standing in the middle of a small road leading from a park. "The scent disappears because of the Humans' stench. We must split up."

"But, sir, wouldn't it be wiser to regroup and come back with more warriors?"

"If we leave now, he'll go on a hunger rampage. Our chances are better for little to no casualty if we go now."

"Aye, My Lord." With that, the warrior took off on a branching road while the prince chose another.

With barely a creek, the ogre managed to slip through a window. "I can smell female…" he said joyously as he crept toward the young human's bed, bumping the printer and sending it sprawling along the floor in his haste.

The girl sat up, eyes wide open, and clapped her hands. She had expected to find some random boy from the other dorms trying to pull a prank on her, but the more she stared at the being in front of her, the less likely that got.

"Hehehahaha!" The ogre murred in delight, "Young human girl meat!"

She screamed, though not nearly loud enough to get any help, so she thought.

The wolf demon stopped midstride as he began to pass a collection of buildings when he heard a scream. He turned and looked up, finding a window open and a fraction of a green body just visible. "There!" he muttered, jumping up and easily swinging into the opening.

The ogre was less than five feet from the girl's bed as the wolf leaped back into the air and rammed him back. While the beast was stunned, the wolf turned to the girl he, though telling himself it was only because she was in the way, rescued.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded briskly, pushing herself against the wall at the head of her bed. She looked at him curiously, eyes searching and scrutinizing him. "How… did you do that…? He's so much bigger…"

He smiled. "Humans forget the things they do not wish to remember."

At that moment, the ogre was standing back up. "Git out of my way, Wolfkin! I saws her first!"

The boy drew his sword, the blade glowing slightly even in the light of the dorm room. "You will not have her," he said calmly.

"Gah!" the ogre chortled, throwing his weight at the boy as he swung, and then the girl was out cold.

After the small fight, the ogre vanished in a golden dust while the demon turned to see the human collapsed, half of her dangling from her bed. With a sigh, he picked her up, meaning only to situate her, when he got a good look at her face.

The shock nearly caused him to drop her, and when his hand touched the skin on the back of her neck, he began glowing the shade of the sun as her skin pulsed in a silvery purple color.

Carefully, he placed her back on the bed and stepped back, growling lightly.

Why?

Why did he have to find her now?

"Milord!"

The young prince turned to see his companion just inside the window. "Have you found the ogre? I can smell him here…"

"Yes, and I slew him while he attempted to eat this girl. It was fortunate that she was able to scream, or she'd be a dead human."

The other sniffed in contempt. "You should have let him finish… she wreaks of something old, a decaying magic."

The prince growled more loudly this time. "I will not let my people speak so of the old ways! Thanks to old magic, we are able to live peacefully. If you don't like it, I'd like to see you try your luck out here." He muttered, than sighed. "Go back to the fort; have them prepare my quarters for a guest. I'll bring the girl with me tomorrow."

"Sir?"

"Do as I say, Hawk."

There was a slight "Humph" noise, and then the prince was left in the room. He sat against the wall, staring agonizingly at the girl. "Why must I be tormented so?" he murmured lightly, watching her sleep and dream of being attacked by a monster, and being saved by a beautiful wolf.


	2. Lonely Heart

Chapter One: A Lonely Heart

The spring sun shone brightly, just beyond the full of the window. Rhiannon Fierstele didn't even have to look at the clock to know it was noon; she had the distinct feeling one gets when they oversleep. Groggily, she sat up, massaging her temples. What the hell did she do last night?

Attempting to find a sign of what made her feel so disoriented, she did a quick sweep of the room: Window wide open, coffee cans strewn throughout, large gouge in the wall, desk dented up, printer thrown on the ground, extremely hot guy standing in the corner staring…

She did a double-take, breath caught in her throat and face turning red. A boy in brown cloth pants, a brown fur vest, and a black shirt was staring at her from Amber eyes with dog-like ears twitching on his head. A small smirk played on his lips as he watched her, though his eyes held every sign of being cautious. "And so you wake; I was wondering how much longer I would have to wait here." He said, his voice inhumanly rough and divinely sweet all at once.

Taking the breath necessary to answer, she came up with the best reply she could muster. "Waiting… for me? How long have you…?"

A small, expectant chuckle came from him as he took a few meager strides towards her to stand beside her bed. "Long enough. I was waiting for you to awaken, because I simply can't leave you here after you witnessed my little skirmish last night."

Suddenly everything made sense as her memory returned.

She gasped, backing up and stumbling out of her bed. "You…! That thing… where? How did you… Did you _KILL_ it?"

The boy sighed, shaking his head. "I implore you, girl, do not make this any harder. I need to take you back to my home, not only for my sake, but for yours." He murmured, and, in just one small movement, he was directly in front of her. "If I wanted to hurt you, human, I would have done so already."

_Well_, she admitted to herself, _he does have a point…_

He held out a hand to her, palm up, gentle yet strong.

"Please come with me?" he murmured, trying to keep his voice as gentle as possible. He could hear her heart thundering and smell her fear lingering in the room. Humans were so cowardly sometimes…

But then she surprised him by grabbing his hand tightly. "…Anywhere is better than here."

He almost laughed. _I believe I've thought too soon_.

He looked her over once again, noticing her stiffen as he stared at her body, clothed only in a sleeping gown. "You still wear sleeping attire; I will allow you to get dressed." He said, striding gracefully back to the corner, sitting, and closing his eyes to wait. He could hear her start speaking, but she probably thought better of any complaints; he would take her regardless of what she was wearing.

"o-okay, I'm done…" she said minutes later. He opened his eyes to see her standing before him in a red shirt with black sleeves, dark blue pants, and an odd looking pair of grey moccasins on her feet. She was grabbing another top and shoving it into a rucksack looking thing, along with other pieces of clothing and random objects that may or may not have been important to the storyline.

He stood and walked beside her, looking at some of the things she was packing, when she picked up a very revealing pair of…. Somethings. "Why are you packing… _those_?"

She blushed bright red, and he could feel her aura pulse with her heart beat. "It's a swimsuit! You never know what you're going to do on a trip…"

He watched as she tucked those away into the bag, his mind inadvertently trailing off and wondering how she would look wearing…

His own heart thudded and he had to recompose himself before she saw the look on his face as he shook the thoughts away.

_It matters little to me what she wears…_ he told himself, but he still had trouble blocking his mind from straying back. He was also suddenly hyper-aware of how close he was standing to her, wanting to reach out just the last few inches… but he could not. He stepped back, waiting for her to finish.

She finished quickly and slung the bag over her shoulders. "Okay… I'm ready!" she said, walking towards the door. His hand snapped out like a cobra to rest on her shoulder and stop her.

"Not that way."

She looked at me, eyebrows cocked. "Then how?"

He smirked. "You'll have to trust me."

She seemed to think for a minute, mulling over whether or not to trust him, before finally nodding. "Okay… I trust you."

Both relieved and tormented, he scooped her up in his arms and walked to the window.

She screamed.

He laughed.

Ten seconds in the air, and they were back on the ground, four stories below her bedroom window. She'd barely caught her breath before he began running, still carrying her bridal-style in his arms, toward the park that was just off of the campus property. The world became a blur around them as he sped around the buildings like he'd been there his whole life.

She couldn't think at all, totally lost in this new world where, apparently, many impossible things became everyday feats achieved easily by people more beautiful than any normal human. The only thing she could stare at, though, was _him_. Which is when she realized she didn't know his name.

"You're name…"

"Huh?" he asked, looking down without slowing at all.

"We… We never introduced each other. I'm Rhiannon Fierstele." She said, smiling shyly, blushing again at the absurdness of her name.

He smiled- a beautiful, terrifying, smile- and set her down, when she had never noticed that they had stopped. "I am Skylarian Nitewing. My friends call me Sky…" he said, his hand lifted, a single finger tracing from her ear, along her jaw, to rest at her chin where the rest of his hand made contact. "That name… It's very beautiful. I am pleased to meet you, Miss Fierstele."

He turned, hand sliding back down to her shoulder, and led her along over a bridge to the small island in the middle of the park. Then, holding her to him, he jumped down under the bridge. "Here it is."

Rhiannon blinked, looking around. "Where what is? I don't see any…" she said, watching as a giant hole formed on the wall under the bridge, turning into a cave lit by multi-colored crystals. "…Oh."

He chuckled, drawing her into the cave with him.

He felt her shiver lightly. They were almost to the halfway point- a fork in the road- and the caves were getting darker and colder. "Are you cold?" he asked, and was answered by the vehement shaking of her head. Mentally shrugging it off, they continued until the path they needed to take separated into a choice of two; one lit, one pitch black.

They both began turning a different direction, but he was stronger and barely noticed the fact that her feet were dragging the ground while he walked unflinchingly into the abysmal darkness. Her fear scent was thick in the air and nearly made it hard to breathe. What could be wrong?

_Well, if she's not cold, what else could it be?_ He wondered.

He felt more than saw the gate coming up in front of them and halted. A roar came from… whatever it was down the other path, causing Miss Fierstele to make a sort of 'squeak' and cling to him; all but welding her arms around his waist.

"Uhm…" he started, but didn't finish, knowing it would be something complicated that would waste precious time that he didn't have, beings that he had to be back at the fort before the light left the sky.

Sighing, his hand rose to shoulder level, and he spoke a few lines in the Old Tongue. The gate rumbled, parting unwillingly to allow them through. Light from the sun crystals was bright, but it was still early in the day in his home.

He still dragged her along, now mostly because of the shock she was in at the beauty of this underground sanctuary. "This is…"

"Welcome, Miss Fierstele, to the Land of the Forgotten; the kingdom of Demons and Monsters." Skylarian said, a bitter edge hanging in his voice.

"Demons…? But… don't you live here? You don't look like a demon to me."

He laughed. "I thought so. I was wondering why you were being so calm around me, even after I hinted at what I was. Don't they teach you anything in History?"

She blushed, suddenly remembering the _human_ comment. And, as it turned out, she _did_ know about the monsters that used to live with humans, because schools made a point to use up half a semester not only teaching about the ways of demons, but also how to fight and kill them.

That beings said, she knew full well that Demons enjoyed eating human maidens.

Particularly the Wolf, Tiger, and Snake demons.

She immediately halted and let go of his arm, momentum causing her to fall forward. But, being the gentleman that Skylarian was, he steadied her.

She was definitely shaking now, backing away from him a few more steps.

_Damn, I've gone and scared her again! Are all humans this easily frightened off?_ He thought to himself, wincing inwardly when he realized how sorry he was.

"Y-You're… a demon… You want to eat me… Is that why I'm here?" she whispered, though he could hear her loud and clear.

He shook his head, laughing, despite himself. "That's all you're worried about? Why even ask? If I wanted to eat you, I would have already done so." He said, cocking an eyebrow. "Can you not think of any other reasons for me to bring you along?"

There was a short period of silence, then her eyes widened. "Then…. Rape?"

The silence extended.

He rubbed his temples, sighing. "No… If I wanted to rape you, I would have done that already. Is it so wrong for me to just crave your company? I merely wish to talk and show you my home." This wasn't a lie, just not the whole truth. He did find her fairly interesting.

She stared nervously, he could almost feel her heartbeat through the ground, but she nodded. "If you… don't hurt me."

He smiled, holding out his hand, just like before., and she took it, just like before. "I wouldn't dream of it, Miss Fierstele." That was… slightly a lie.

They continued the long trek, and finally the sun-stones began to glow with the light of sunset. Rhiannon was tiring, but Skylarian seemed totally fine. But her waning strength did not go without notice, and he found a clearing where they made a fire.

She was still very scared of him, but she was also able to trust him a little… could someone so beautiful and kind-seeming really be that bad?

She certainly hoped not.

She stared at the fire as she thought about this. This place was beautiful; the air smelled sweet and clean, the noises of the city were nowhere to be found… this was a paradise. She felt utterly relaxed and at home by the warmth of the natural fire with the sound of birds singing their songs before the night really settled in.

Cautiously, Rhiannon turned to see him where he leaned against a tree about ten yards away. He was definitely staring at her, and didn't bother looking away, he only smiled. She smiled back, her heart pounding.

Skylarian watched her carefully, waiting for her to make some move to run away. The fire danced in front of her, very happy because she was watching. Though, Sky figured, she probably didn't even realize the fire had any feelings at all. But it danced all the same.

The lightning bugs soon began coming in and added to the beauty in the clearing. They seemed to like her as well, dancing and floating around her, brightening her soft pale skin, the graceful dip and angles of her neck…

He quickly shook the thoughts away. He could not think such things! She was merely here because he brought her on a whim to try to awaken the power he could use to end the civil war his home was in… or so he tried to tell himself. But he knew that he didn't really know why he brought her… she was just so…

She turned slowly, her eyes locking with his. Beautiful brown, green, and gold eyes fitted perfectly into a kind and gentle face… he inadvertently smiled, still watching those eyes, and she smiled back.

"Uhm… Skylarian…? Aren't you going to get cold?" she asked, genuinely concerned.

He shook his head, laughing slightly as he straightened and walked towards her. "Call me Sky, Miss Fierstele, and no… I do not get cold very easily. But I am touched that you were worried."

Just as he predicted, she quickly looked back at the fire, attempting to hide her blushing face as he sat down- the fire was completely ecstatic. "Oh… okay." She murmured.

He almost laughed, but then he saw her shiver again, this time definitely from the cold. Without too much thought, he slipped out of his fur vest and put it around her- it was much too big for her, and looking more like a blanket than a vest around her body. Her heartbeat quickened- he could feel it, he was so close to her- and her aura pulsed slightly with further embarrassment.

"Th-thank you…"

"Not a problem." He said, hesitating, but he gently put an arm around her shoulders as well. She would be warm in not time, he was, after all, one hundred seven degrees. He watched her intently as she stared at the fire. Suddenly, the thought came to him; the setting was perfect, why not get some information out of her? "… Say, Miss Fierstele?"

Her head turned slightly, and she looked up at him curiously. "Y-yes?"

He smiled. "Well, we might as well get to know each other better… Why were you living there alone? I could smell other teenagers, but none close to you… nor did I smell anyone related to you…"

She faltered. "Oh… you noticed." She murmured, twirling a bit of her hair nervously, "Yeah. I live on-campus at the school. My parents don't really want…" she trailed off for a second before picking back up, her voice changing tones. "My parents aren't around mostly, so I sort of just got dropped off a couple years ago. I live there during the summer too, which is why I was the only one in that wing, because schools out for Spring Break." She added. He opened his mouth to ask more, but she put a finger gently over his lips. "Nope! It's my turn!"

He blinked, slightly shocked. She had quickly become much more assertive… meaning he had found her soft spot, and she didn't want him to ask anymore of that topic. Whatever… he'd find out eventually, he was sure.

"Okay! Uhhhmmm…. You asked about where I live, so, what's your home like? Do you and… uh.. your tribe live in a village near here?"

He chuckled. "No tribes. Since leaving your lands, we have changed our ways of life. When the Wolf Leader and his mate created this sanctuary it was decided that many things would need to change in order for us to live peacefully amongst ourselves… so their son was appointed as a Prince, or King, to rule over all the demon tribes, though they themselves are still self run tribes… The King helps to resolve issues and maintain the peace so no one tribe tries to kill another, or tries to go back to the human world and take control…"

She was quiet, staring at him. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yes.. and to answer where I live, it's in a fort for now. Recently… recently the Prince hasn't been living up to his expectations. A civil war is brewing, because the Prince's older brother has decided to lead a revolt." He said, chuckling bitterly. "Okay, my turn." He said, before she could say anything, "Hmm… Why did you come so willingly? Do you not have someone for you back there? A mate, or someone you wish to be with?"

Her face turned completely red. "M-mate… as in… like, a boyfriend or something?"

"More than a boyfriend. A mate is equal to a human husband… only a mate is.. well, mated." He said, slyly, bending his neck and sniffing her. "… Though, you are still a maiden, so I suppose you don't have a mate yet."

Her heart fluttered momentarily. "Th-th-then no… I don't have anyone back home. Like I said, I'm mostly alone, boys don't pay much attention to me, I'm boring and strange!" she said, rolling her eyes, most of her embarrassment gone, then she turned away, looking back into the fire that listened very intently to her. "Although… I wouldn't mind finding someone… Being different can be lonely." She said, and he could almost feel her tangibly fall asleep. She leaned into him a little more… a lot more, beings that she once sat rigidly next to him. Was she really that tired?

He didn't think that traveling like that would drain her strength so much that she'd be out cold mid sentence… Perhaps she was stressed, or maybe surprised? He had known humans tired easily, but still…

She curled up, getting slightly closer. "You're warm… Sky…"

He couldn't help but smile, pulling her closer still. "Yes, all wolves are. I'm nothing special.."

"Thank you… though… for bringing me with you… a little secret, between us… My parents don't want me… after school, I probably won't be in the Free World much longer… I'm glad I get to see this place."

He blinked, craning his neck to look at her face. Yep, she was sleeping. But what did she mean? He knew of the Free World, because it formed only shortly after the Demons left, and he was still in the human lands when they decided it. The Free World was… well, free. The Other World was where there were dictators, wars, gang bombings, slave auctions, child and teen prostitution…

His train of thought immediately halted. She was at least fifteen, and, by demon terms, should have been married by now. He knew humans could be barbarians at times, but would a parent really…?

He looked at her again, remembering that she said she was "dropped off" at the school, and he definitely believed a parent could- At least one of hers. He inadvertently growled. Before he even realized he was thinking it, he was vowing to keep her from a fate like that. If she was able to live through this war he would personally _talk_ with her parents…

She moved again, her head resting just below the crook of his neck and an arm wound around his neck. His face grew warm and he held her by the waist. The fire crackled with laughter as he sat there, unable to move or think of anything under PG13. After a few seconds his head cleared and he maneuvered her to where she sat on his lap.

"**Her heart is lonely…**"

He turned to look, keeping as composed as possible. "Gruff, is that you?" he asked.

The Wolven- a Wolven being a cross between a wolf demon, a wolf, and an energy based being- stepped from the shadows. His shoulders were over five feet off the ground; the six foot tall Skylarian was just under eye level to him. Gruff was a grey wolf with black and dark brown markings making him easy to recognize. Gruff nodded, laying down on the other side of the fire.

"**Aye, My lord. It has been a while… this girl… she is human, but she has immense spiritual power**." His golden, eternal eyes peered closely at her before understanding lit them. "**Her energy resembles that of the late Lady Lunari. When I look close, I can see her blood flowing… the energy of the Great Amethyst runs through her.**"

Sky nodded. It was no use ever trying to hide anything from Gruff, his long-time friend and caretaker. "Yes, Gruff… I believe that she is the reincarnation of my mother's power. The next in the line for the Amethyst's holy power."

Gruff's head dipped as he thought. "**But never before has the Jewel of Fate's host body ever been fully human. It was always a half demon, like your late mother was. Tell me, Milord… do you take this girl back with you to Fort Eterna?**"

"Yes, I want to bring her with me… I fear for my sanity, though, my friend. No matter how hard I try, I cannot seem to push her to the back of my mind, even though my duties as Prince should be first and foremost." He admitted, his ears drooping.

The Wolven chuckled softly, sharp teeth gleaming playfully in the light of the fire. "**Then I shall most definitely accompany you. Your finding her cannot be coincidence, Skylarian. It was a thing of Fate herself that you saved her from that Ogre… Take this advice: Tread carefully down this path, for you hold the world in your hands at this very second.**"

Sky nodded, though extremely confused. It was well known that when a Wolven gave advice, you had to take it. The Wolven were around long before the humans or the demons. They transcended time itself, and could be anywhere or anytime they wanted. To anger one was not only a taboo, but a death sentence. "Yes Gruff, I will remember… though I understand this prophecy almost as much as I understand what goes on in your head when you say such things."

Gruff smiled, then yawned. "**The girl has a good idea. You must rest… Fate herself only knows what will become of her entering our Fort, let alone your home.**"

Sky nodded, figuring he might as well nap. Being as gentle as possible, he lay down, using his arm as a pillow for the both of them. Rhiannon immediately cuddled into him, her hands resting on his chest. He let his other arm rest around her waist, holding her close. It seemed so normal… like they had been this way before. Being just tired enough to not care where his thoughts led, he hesitantly kissed her forehead. "May your dreams be sweet, _Midkna_…"


End file.
